UPDATE: Nearly 200 inmates at Monterey County Jail test positive for COVID-19

SALINAS, Calif. (KION)

UPDATE 7/27/2020 4:30 p.m. The Monterey County Sheriff's Office reports that 195 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 at the Monterey County Jail.

There are a total of 710 inmates being held at the jail. 238 inmates have been released early due to concerns about the spread of the virus.

UPDATE 7/23/2020 1 p.m. The Monterey County's Sheriff's Office reports that 184 inmates at the Monterey County Jail have tested positive for COVID-19, and 19 have been moved to alternate housing.

The county said the 19 people moved to alternate housing were released early, but need some form of alternate housing. They are staying at hotels, and the county said they are not inmates who need to be watched by a guard.

There are 705 inmates at the jail, and 529 have been tested so far, bringing the positivity rate to 34.8%. The county average is 8.97%.

The Sheriff's Office says 238 inmates have been released early due to COVID-19.

Ten staff members have tested positive.

UPDATE 7/22/2020 1:30 p.m. The Monterey County Sheriff's Office said 184 inmates at the Monterey County Jail have tested positive for COVID-19.

498 inmates have been tested, and there are about 700 inmates at the jail.

More than 200 staff members have been tested, and ten have tested positive.

UPDATE 7/21/2020 12 p.m. The Monterey County Sheriff's Office says a total of 180 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 at the Monterey County Jail out of the 420 inmates tested so far.

Officials say they are in four housing units, and 43% of those tested have tested positive.

Four inmates have been treated in hospitals, and two are still in the hospital. The jail has received approval from the state fire marshal to use part of the jail expansion that has been finished to house inmates and use it as a quarantine area.

Out of 189 employees and contractors tested for COVID-19, 9 have tested positive. Two of them have returned to work.

UPDATE 7/20/2020 1 p.m. The Monterey County Sheriff's Office said a total of 151 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 out of the 360 inmates tested so far.

Five more staff members also tested positive over the weekend, bringing the total to 0. 178 staff members have been tested.

None of the inmates or staff members are currently in the hospital.

UPDATE 7/17/2020 6 p.m. The Monterey County Sheriff's Office said a total of 113 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19.

260 inmates have been tested, and all of the results that came back Friday were negative.

Three employees have tested positive.

UPDATE 7/16/2020 2:30 p.m. The Monterey County Sheriff's Office said that 18 more inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 at the Monterey County Jail, bringing the total to 124.

No new staff members have tested positive, but one tested positive earlier.

UPDATE 7/15/2020 5:30 p.m. The Monterey County Sheriff's Office confirms that out of 42 new inmate tests at the Monterey County Jail, 18 more have tested positive for COVID-19.

The new cases bring the total to 106 confirmed cases out of 700 inmates. Initially, the cases were from the same housing unit, but some of the cases are now from a second housing unit.

The Sheriff's Office said it is not unexpected that it would be found in another housing unit. The second unit is the same classification as the first, and when they moved inmates before they knew about the outbreak, the Sheriff's Office believes someone may have been asymptomatic.

One staff member has tested positive.

The Sheriff's Office is in the process of testing all inmates and staff for COVID-19.

UPDATE 7/14/20: The Monterey County Sheriff's Office says after 165 tests, 88 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19.

Jail staff members say 44 employees were also tested but only one has tested positive for the coronavirus.

The information comes after reports of an outbreak of COVID-19 at the jail were confirmed July 9 and 10.

More tests are to be expected as the jail intends on testing all jail inmates and staff.

UPDATE 10:55 P.M.: The Monterey County Jail staff said Saturday 68 inmates and one staff member have tested positive for COVID-19.

UPDATE: 7/10/20 11:00 P.M.: At least 67 inmates have been infected with the COVID-19 virus at the Monterey County Jail as of Friday after testing a housing unit following a handful of cases earlier in the week.

The sheriff's office is scrambling to find new ways to contain the spread before it gets worse.

"We've quarantined them, quarantined the areas they were in," said Jim Bass, the MCSO chief of corrections.

The sheriff's office is still investigating how the virus got into the jail. It is possible an inmate who got through the 14-day observation period or who left the prison and came back could have brought it in.

The limited number of single cells and the dwindling number of clean units are creating challenges. KION is told a specialized company is working to disinfect the facilities while healthy inmates are living in separate areas from those who tested positive.

"But I don't know that there's any process that's completely infallible in a correctional setting like this and with the number of spaces we have," said Bass.

The daughter of an inmate tells KION her father just tested positive for COVID-19.

"It's scary, you know. He's in his 70s, and so that alone having him in there is just scary," said the daughter, who wanted to remain anonymous.

She says her father was released from jail on Friday but has to go back in September; she is fearful because she feels the jail has not done enough to stop the virus from spreading inside the vulnerable population.

"They were in and out, the inmates were coming in and out of this supposedly quarantine area and none of them were tested. There was no reassurance other than a temperature check," said the daughter.

The sheriff's office says they did test inmates only when they showed virus symptoms and took temperatures twice a day, but they are now requiring all incoming inmates to take a COVID-19 test before moving into regular housing.

They are also re-assessing their early release options, but at-risk inmates will get priority. Those with more serious charges will get less consideration.

"We have a good crew, we had a good plan. I mean we all get stressed when this hits and those numbers come out like that, it's not easy," said Bass. "But we're going to stick to what our processes are in place and keep this thing going."

The sheriff's office says they do not have any plans to use the new jail facilities at this time. All current inmates and staff will be tested for COVID-19 -- that is close to 900 people.

UPDATE: 7/10/20 2:00 P.M.: Monterey County Sheriff's Office staff have now confirmed 67 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 at the Monterey County Jail.

This follows an announcement made earlier today that one deputy has also tested positive for the virus.

The Sheriff's Office says they will now be testing all inmates and staff, which could be up to 900 people.

Out of the 67 who tested positive, some showed symptoms but none to the extent where they needed to be hospitalized.

A specialized group will now have to be brought in to disinfect surfaces and equipment at the jail.

Living situations for inmates are being rearranged right now to separate those who tested positive.

They're also working with the court to see if any inmates can be released early due to this discovery.

UPDATE: 7/10/20 11:00 a.m. The Monterey County Sheriff's Office has confirmed one deputy has tested positive for COVID-19.

The covid-positive deputy is being quarantined at this time and, according to the sheriff's office, does not require hospitalization.

This new info comes as 6 inmates were announced to have tested positive for the coronavirus this week.

7/9/2020 1:30 p.m. The Monterey County Sheriff's Office said that out of 700 people in custody at the jail, 100 will be tested for COVID-19.

Six people tested positive for the virus in the same housing unit, so that is how the Sheriff's Office decided who to test. None of the cases have been serious enough for hospitalizations.

The first positive case was identified in mid-June, according to the Sheriff's Office.

It is not known how the inmates caught the virus, but the first person was tested because they had a medical procedure coming up.

PREVIOUS STORY: The Monterey County Sheriff's Office said six inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 at the Monterey County Jail.

About a hundred more inmates need to be tested.

As of Tuesday, three inmates had tested positive for COVID-19.

This is a developing story. Keep checking back for updates.